African Inter-Tribal, Inter-Clan and Family Cultural Beliefs, Interaction Rules, Policies,

Taboos, Myths, Folklores and their Interconnected Meanings with Justification for their
Respective and Collective Necessity – cultural and ceremonial rituals

Investigate The Births and Evolutions of Languages in Africa with intention of understanding the
dynamics of new language formations. Focus on the evolution of Sheng (born after the incursion of
English settlers in East Africa interior and subsequent rural-urban migration in urban areas) in
history and the birth / evolution of Kiswahili (born after the incursion of Arab settlers in the Coast
of East Africa).

Origins and Meanings of Wise Sayings in Africa

“n’eng’areka yagerete bokayia” - old Ekegusii saying

There once was a man who had two wives. When one of the wives got a child, the husband
instructed the other wife to cook for her because as is custom she is not supposed to do any work for
a period (this is usually the case so as to facilitate her healing and to avoid complications – postnatal
care). The other wife went on to do the work begrudgingly and as she was in the kitchen she
thought, “I will let this obokima stay in the fire so long, to make it so hot it will burn that woman as
she eats it and she will die.” Obokima is a traditional bread-like meal cooked over an open fire
using specially prepared flour and water. (For best results grains are dried in the sun before milling,
the flour is kept in a dry and warm place).

When the begrudged woman served her co-wife the hot dish, apparently she hang around so she
would see her rival die and as the target ate the food, she started sweating. This seemed to be a sign
that the plan was working. It however failed miserably. The envious woman, not giving up easily
kept serving the new mother the hot meal day after day and after some time everyone noticed that
she was growing fatter and fatter. The husband commended the cook for her good work for in this
culture, a woman getting fat is a desirable thing and a sign of good health. So in this way people
learned to make well cooked, delicious obokima. Obokima which is not well cooked is called ekeni.
It is not desired. A woman who is fit to be a wife does not cook ekeni. A wife is called omorugi
which translates to… guess what… cook! A cook is a very important person because she determines
everyone’s health in the family.

Interpretation/ Usage
Envy has its benefits

“Ogokina n’okuya, n’okogota gokare egesankio”

omware
omosegi
ekegokoro

Interpretation/ Usage
Growing up is nice, it is the growing old that catches you unawares

Family Interaction Rules, Policies and Taboos

Cultural and Ceremonial Rituals

 Naming
Circumcision
Marriage
Death
Afterlife
REPEAT
Theory of Eternity

In order to explore the cultural practices of Mwanyagetinge, it is necessary for us to follow the life
stages of an individual from before birth to death and beyond with an in-depth analysis of every
cultural ritual and every ceremonial ritual.

Trying to grasp the complex relationship between and within African tribes is not an easy task.
However with some patience even the most difficult of tasks can be accomplished. In this project
we will endeavor to show that all that is required to unravel this mystery is a thorough
understanding of the languages used by the tribes. This is not a task that can be accomplished by
one man or ten men, considering there are over 2,000 separate tribes in Africa, each with it’s own
neighbors, unique set of cultural practices, beliefs and language.